A cane-cutter who chopped off a policewoman’s left wrist before leaving her for dead in a trench has been sentenced to three years in prison by Demerara High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall.
At his arraignment last month, Warren Dennis, 48, formerly of Beterverwagting (BV), East Coast Demerara (ECD) pleaded guilty to a charge for the offence of attempt to commit murder.
He admitted to wounding the 33-year-old mother of three on April 23, 2017, with the intent to murder her. The incident occurred at Quamina Street, Beterverwagting.
The facts of the matter revealed that Dennis and the woman had a disagreement.
On the day in question, she was riding a bicycle making her way to give her son his school supplies when she was attacked by a cutlass-wielding Dennis.
He then chased her into a nearby trench and continued chopping her mercilessly, severing her left wrist. Following the attack, Dennis made good his escape but was later handed over to the police by his brother.
Dennis told the court he was sorry and begged for mercy and forgiveness. “Ow, please fuh mercy my Honour,” he cried before claiming that he was “frustrated” and didn’t know what to do. He also repeatedly begged for a chance to make things right with the victim. He said, “I hurt someone, I am asking her to forgive me. Whatever I can contribute to her life, I will do it. I am very sorry.”
The woman explained that the incident has taken a toll on her well-being, pointing out that she has been unable to care for herself and her children. She shared, “ I was hospitalised for 12 days. I lost my left wrist. Because of this incident, I have low self-esteem; I don’t socialise anymore. This incident has really taken a toll on me. Every day I cry because of what this man has done to me. I would like the court to impose the maximum penalty on him for everything he has put me through.”
Meanwhile, the convict, who has been on remand since April 2017, told the court that his life has changed for the better since he has been attending anger management classes.
In considering an appropriate sentence for Dennis, Justice Morris-Ramlall disclosed that she considered the following factors: the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, his previous unblemished criminal record, his early guilty plea, and expression of remorse.
The High Court Judge also considered the physical and psychological effects the victim is left to endure.
Dennis was sentenced to eight years behind bars, less the time he has already spent in pretrial custody which amounts to five years.
This means after the prison authorities credit him for time served, he will only serve three years in prison.
